Pallet



Dec. 7, 1954 BAUMANN 2,696,356

PALLET Filed Feb. '7. 1952 INVENTOR. Mann-m M. BAUMAN N United States Patent PALLET Martin M. Banmann, Glencoe, IlL, assignor to International Paper Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 7, 1952, Serial No. 270,448 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-120) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for handling and supporting articles, and particularly seeks to provide a novel light-weight pallet constructed of corrugated orother paper board.

The handling of merchandise on pallets has become extremely popular in recent years because it allows the packing of articles in multiple units from producer to consumer and the handling thereof by the use of forklift trucks or similar devices, thus elminating much of the expensive manual handling of the merchandise.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel pallet which is fabricated from corrugated board or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character stated which is so designed as to be readily capable of being shipped to the user in flat or knocked down form and there readily assembled.

Another obiect of this invention is to provide a device of the character stated which has a plurality of parallel spaced transverse cleats which are generally of square cross-section and maintained in position by saddle supports.

Another obiect of this invention is to provide a device of the character stated with a double-ply loadsupporting platform, the transverse cleats being formed from the lower ply and being supported in channel-forming position by the saddle supports, the bases of which lie between the double plies.

Another obieet of this invention is to provide a device of the character stated which is simple in design, ru ed in construction and economical to manufacture.

With these and other obiects in view, the nature of which wi l be more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood b reference to the drawin s. the accompanvin detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fi l is a plan view of a blank of the upper ply of a pallet constructed in accordance with this invention:

Fi 2 is a plan view of a blank of the lower ply of the pallet;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank for a saddle support:

Fi 4 is a perspective view of an inverted assembled pallet: and r Fi 5 is an enlarged detailed vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, this invention as illustrated is embodied in a load-supporting pallet formed from relatively heavy, ri id corrugated paperboard or fibreboard which may. if desired, be additionally treated as by impregnation with resin or other suitable material.

The platform generally indicated at is of generally rectangular shape and comprises an u per ply generally indicated at 11 and a lower ply generally indicated at 12, the corrugations of one ply preferably being at right angles to those of the other ply to provide added strength. As will be seen in Fig. 2 the blank 12 of the lower ply is provided with a plurality of bottom panels 15 each defined by reverse spaced parallel score lines 16-16. To each side of the bottom panels 15 are a pair of panels 17, 17 which form in the assembled pallet side walls of the transverse cleats or channels and which are defined by score lines 18. The remaining panel areas of the blank 2,695,356 Patented Dec. 7, 1954 "ice form in the erected pallet horizontal platform panels 19. A plurality of slots 20 in sets of four with each set arranged along two opposite sides of a rectangle are formed in and located at right angles to associated pairs of score lines 18, 18 in order to extend into both the side panels 17 and the horizontal platform panels 19 of the lower ply 12. A plurality of saddle supports generally indicated at 21 equal in number to the sets of slots are provided and each includes a central panel 22, a pair of end flanges 23 each having a pair of spaced parallel notches 24 extending inwardly from the free edges thereof.

In assembling the pallet a plurality of transverse depending cleats 25 are formed by folding each associated pair of side panels 17, 17 down and perpendicular to the lower ply 12 so that the intermediate bottom panel 15 is parallel to and below the general plane of the lower ply. The corrugations of the lower ply extend vertically within the areas of side panels 17. Each of the slots 20 will now form a right angle, i. e., a portion of the slot remains horizontal on its associated horizontal platform panel 19 and the remainder is vertical on its associated side panel 17. The flanges 23 of the saddle supports are inserted through the slots 20, the notches 24 interlocking with that portion of the side panel 17 immediately beyond the slots 20, and that portion of the flange between the notches being positioned internally of the rectangularly cross-sectioned cleat 25. The central panel 22 of each saddle support is thus lying over the open face of the cleat but extending beyond the side walls thereof in juxtaposition with the associated horizontal platform panel 19. It is, of course, to be understood that the number of cleats and/or saddle supports may be varied under various conditions. After the cleats are formed and locked in position with the saddle supports the upper ply 11 is placed in juxtaposition with the horizontal panels 19 of the lower ply and stapled as at 26 or otherwise fastened. Glue or other adhesive also may be employed to secure the upper ply to the adjacent horizontal panels of the lower ply.

The simplicity of construction of a pallet which embodies the features of this invention makes it entirely feasible to ship the pallet to a user in knocked-down or flat blank form, and the user can simply and quickly erect the same, using only wire stitching or stapling apparatus or glue.

Thus it will be seen that the herein disclosed invention provides a novel pallet fabricated from corrugated board, fibreboard or the like, which is capable of being shipped in unassembled form for ready assembly at the point of use, which is light weight, simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

It is, of course, to be understood that various details of arrangements and proportions of parts may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pallet formed from corrugated board or the like and comprising a two-ply load-supporting platform, a plurality of hollow spacing cleats depending from said platform, and a plurality of saddle supports each provided with a central panel positioned between said two plies and a pair of notched depending flanges disposed in interlocking and bracing engagement with said cleats, certain side wall portions of said cleats and said lower ply being slotted for receiving and interlocking with the flanges of said saddle supports.

2. A pallet formed from corrugated board or the like and comprising an upper platform, a lower platform attached thereto, a plurality of hollow cleats disposed in spaced parallel relation and formed integral with and depending from said lower platform, said lower platform provided with a plurality of spaced parallel pairs of slots in sets of four to define a rectangle, each said slot describing a right angle through a portion of said platform and an associated depending wall of said cleat, and a plurality of saddle supports each including a central panel, and a pair of depending flanges on opposed sides of said panel, each flange having a pair of spaced parallel notches,

said central panel lying between said upper and lower platforms, saiddependingflanges extendingthrough" said" References Cited in the file of this patent Number 5 2,348,483 2,444,183 2,446,914 2,503,240

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lacy May 9, 1944 Cahners June 29, 1948 Fallert Aug. 10, 1948 Cahners- Apr. 11, 1950 

